United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149 (11th Cir. 2005). · Go Syfert
United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149 (11th Cir. 2005). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
275 citation events (275 in the last 25 years) across 49 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: United States v. $148,145.00 In U.S. Currency (cacd, 2024-06-13)
Treatment trajectory · 2003 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
2003 2014 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 50 distinct citers.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. $148,145.00 In U.S. Currency (3×) also: Cited as authority (rule)
C.D. Cal. · 2024 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
as a matter of common knowledge and common sense, legitimate businesses 5 usually do not transport this much cash by couriers. the same is not true of drug rings, 6 which commonly do utilize couriers to transport in cash their ill-gotten gains, which can 7 be huge.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. $389,820.00 in United States Currency (2×) also: Cited as authority (rule)
M.D. Ala. · 2022 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
wrapping cash in cellophane-type material is a technique known to be used by drug dealers to prevent discovery by drug-sniffing dogs.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. One Hundred Seventy-Nine Thousand Dollars in U.S. Currency in JPMorgan Chase Bank Safe Deposit Bank in the Name of Travis James
M.D. La. · 2021 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
a common sense reality of everyday life is that legitimate businesses do not transport large quantities of cash rubber-banded into bundles and stuffed into packages in a backpack.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Latecia Watkins
11th Cir. · 2021 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
e and other federal appellate courts have inferred from a court's explicit factual findings and conclusion implied factual findings that are consistent with its judgment although unstated.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Gee v. Bouyer
N.D. Ala. · 2021 · signal: see also · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
probable cause in this context is a 'reasonable ground for belief of guilt, supported by less than prima facie proof but more than mere suspicion-the same standard used to determine the legality of arrests, searches, and seizures in criminal law.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Latecia Watkins
11th Cir. · 2020 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
e and other federal appellate courts have inferred from a court's explicit factual findings and conclusion implied factual findings that are consistent with its judgment although unstated.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. 69,940.50 in United States Currency (2×) also: Cited "see"
D.S.C. · 2020 · signal: see also · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
a common sense reality of everyday life is that legitimate businesses do not transport large quantities of cash rubber-banded into bundles and stuffed into packages in a backpack.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. $126,880 In U.S. Currency (3×) also: Cited "see", Cited "see, e.g."
M.D. Fla. · 2020 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
as a matter of common knowledge and common sense," unlike legitimate businesses, drug rings "commonly do use couriers to transport in cash their ill gotten gains, which can be huge.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Thompson v. City of Florence, Alabama
N.D. Ala. · 2019 · signal: see also · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
probable cause in this context is a 'reasonable ground for belief of guilt, supported by less than prima facie proof but more than mere suspicion-the same standard used to determine the legality of arrests, searches, and seizures in criminal law.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Joseph Paul Zada
11th Cir. · 2017 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
e and other federal appellate courts have inferred from a district court's explicit factual findings and conclusion implied factual findings that are consistent with its judgment although unstated.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Tony Sparkman
7th Cir. · 2016 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
a common sense reality of everyday life is that legitimate businesses do not transport large quantities of cash rubber-banded into bundles.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Acosta, Victor Manuel (5×) also: Cited as authority (rule)
Tex. Crim. App. · 2014 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
wrapping cash in cellophane-type material is a technique known to be used by drug dealers to prevent discovery by drug-sniffing dogs.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. $11,320.00 in United States Currency (3×) also: Cited as authority (rule), Cited "see, e.g."
N.D. Ga. · 2012 · signal: see also · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
although the quantity of the cash alone is not enough to connect it to illegal drug transactions, it is a significant fact and weighs heavily in the probable cause calculus.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. $13,000.00 in United States Currency (3×) also: Cited as authority (rule)
D. Colo. · 2012 · signal: see · quote attribution · 2 verbatim quotes · confidence high
common sense reality of everyday life is that legitimate businesses do not transport large quantities of cash rubber-banded into bundles and stuffed into packages
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Burkley
10th Cir. · 2008 · signal: see · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
wrapping cash in cellophane-type material is a technique known to be used by drug dealers to prevent discovery by drug-sniffing dogs.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Funds Amount $30,670 (4×) also: Cited as authority (rule), Cited "see", Cited "see, e.g."
7th Cir. · 2005 · signal: see also · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
in evaluating the evidence of proceeds traceable to drug transactions, we . . . eschew clinical detachment and endorse a common sense view to the realities of normal life applied to the totality of the circumstances.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Funds in the Amount of Thirty Thousand Six Hundred Seventy Dollars ($30,670.00), Antonio Calhoun, Claimant-Appellant (4×) also: Cited as authority (rule), Cited "see", Cited "see, e.g."
7th Cir. · 2005 · signal: see also · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
in evaluating the evidence of proceeds traceable to drug transactions, we ... eschew clinical detachment and en-dorsee a common sense view to the realities of normal life applied to the totality of the circumstances.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Heimkes
S.D. Ala. · 2026 · confidence medium
“In addressing a Rule 52(c) motion, the court does not view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, as it would in . . . a Rule 50(a) motion for judgment as a matter of law; instead, it exercises its role as factfinder.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1172 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) James West v. Sabrina Schultz
11th Cir. · 2025 · confidence medium
Instead, we can “infer . . . implied factual findings that are consistent with” the district court’s “ex- plicit factual findings and conclusion[s.]” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1154 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (collect- ing cases inferring implied factual findings); see also United States v. Watkins, 13 F.4th 1202 , 1213–14 (11th Cir. 2021) (same).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Jose Rogelio Nieto-Molina
11th Cir. · 2025 · signal: cf. · confidence medium
Cf. United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1154 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (“[W]e and other federal appellate courts have inferred from a district court’s explicit factual findings and conclu- sion implied factual findings that are consistent with its judgment although unstated.”).
cited Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $344,226 United States Currency
M.D. Tenn. · 2025 · confidence medium
United States v. $242,484.00 in U.S. Currency, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161 (11th Cir. 2004); c.f.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $22,830.00 in US Currency
D. Ariz. · 2025 · confidence medium
United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161 (11th Cir. 2004) 19 (explaining that legitimate businesses can either wire payments or convert small bills into 20 larger ones, but “those who deal in drug-tainted money cannot avail themselves of such 21 conveniences”); $27,800 in United States Currency, 2017 WL 6345394 , at *4 (a large 22 amount of cash in twenty-dollar denominations supports the inference that the money is 23 drug-related); United States v. $36,000.00 in U.S. Currency, 2018 WL 839865 , at *6 (C.D. 24 Cal. Feb. 8, 2018) (large amounts of currency bundled with rubber bands…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Juan Vega v. Secretary, Florida Department of Children
11th Cir. · 2025 · signal: cf. · confidence medium
Cf. United States v. $242,484.00¸ 389 F.3d 1149, 1154 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (explaining that we may “infer[] from a district court’s explicit factual findings and conclusion implied fac- tual findings that are consistent with its judgment although un- stated”).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Brandler v. Brandler
Bankr. S.D. Tex. · 2025 · confidence medium
P. 52(c). 47 United States v. $242,484.00 in United States Currency, 389 F.3d 1149, 1172 (11th Cir. 2004); Nancy Jones v. Estate of Cole, 483 F. App'x 468 , 472 n.4 (10th Cir. 2012) (citing FED.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. D'livro Beauchamp (2×) also: Cited "see"
11th Cir. · 2024 · confidence medium
The government “does not need to show a relationship between the property and a particular drug transaction—only that the property was related to some illegal drug transaction.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc). 1 Most of Beauchamp’s arguments about the forfeiture of the $77,246.00 fo- cuses around the government’s failure to show probable cause to forfeit the property.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) People v. $33,260 United States Currency (2×)
Ill. App. Ct. · 2024 · confidence medium
However, the federal government “does not need to show a relationship between the property and - 11 - a particular drug transaction—only that the property was related to some illegal drug transaction.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004). ¶ 22 “[T]he government may *** meet its burden with circumstantial evidence of the substantial connection between the subject property and illegal drug sales.” United States v. Real Property 10338 Marcy Road Northwest, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 938 F.3d 802, 810 (6th Cir. 2019); see United States v. $11,500.00 in United…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Kevin Hartley (2×) also: Cited "see"
11th Cir. · 2024 · confidence medium
United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Waseem Daker v. Therese Barnes
11th Cir. · 2024 · confidence medium
Judicial Immunity Finally, Daker argues that “[t]he district court erred in hold- ing that [the] [d]efendants were entitled to judicial immunity in or- der to justify denying recusal.” He also argues that, even if his claims were misjoined, “the district court abused its discretion by declining to split [his] action into several actions based on its erro- neous immunity holdings.” When appropriate, we review de novo whether an official is entitled to judicial immunity, Smith v. Shook, 237 F.3d 1322, 1325 (11th Cir. 2001), but we will not review statements made in dicta, United States v…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $44,980.00 in United States Currency
D. Ariz. · 2024 · confidence medium
Ariz. Mar. 25, 2014) (quoting United States 28 v. $242,484.00 of U.S. Currency, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161 (11th Cir. 2004)). 1 Moreover, the currency consisted mostly of $20 bills, which “furthers the inference 2 that the money was drug-related.” United States v. $27,800 in United States Currency, No. 3 17-CV-00533-AJB-KSC, 2017 WL 6345394 , at *4 (S.D.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $77,246.00 in United States Currency
M.D. Ala. · 2024 · confidence medium
A. Factors Supporting Forfeitability “Pursuant to § 881(a)(6), the government is not required to demonstrate that . . . seized currency was connected with any particular drug transaction; instead, the government need only show that the money was ‘related to some illegal drug transaction.’” United States v. $21,175.00 in U.S. Currency, 521 F. App’x 734, 739 (11th Cir. 2013) (quoting United States v. $242,484.00 in U.S. Currency, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Whatley v. Hamm
S.D. Ala. · 2023 · confidence medium
U.S. v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1155 (11th Cir. 2004) (discussing the role of a trial judge as fact finder and recognizing “the presumption that a judge knows and correctly applie[s] the law”); see also Fautenberry v. Mitchell, 515 F.3d 614, 638 (6th Cir. 2008) (recognizing that Booth’s concern was whether victim-impact evidence would distract or divert the jury and nothing “[t]hose considerations are severely diminished—if not entirely obviated—when the sentencer is a judge or a three-judge panel, rather than a lay jury.”) In conclusion, nothing in Whatley’s Rule 59(e) mot…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $42,540.00 in United States Currency
N.D. Ga. · 2023 · confidence medium
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has recognized that “legitimate businesses do not transport large quantities of cash rubber-banded into bundles and stuffed into packages in a backpack . . . because there are better, safer means of transporting cash if one is not trying to hide it from the authorities.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161 (11th Cir. 2004).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. B.G.G. (2×) also: Cited "see"
11th Cir. · 2022 · confidence medium
Time and again, we have held that we can “infer[ ] from a district court’s explicit factual findings and conclusion implied factual findings that are consistent with its judgment although unstated.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1154 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc); see also United States v. Watkins, 13 F.4th 1202 , 1213–14 (11th Cir. 2021) (collecting cases).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $16,037.00 United States Currency
W.D.N.Y. · 2022 · confidence medium
Even if this Court might see the matter differently had McFadden carried, say, $242,484.00 in the form of “18,362 bills . . . weigh[ing] approximately forty-and-a-half pounds,” see United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161 (11th Cir. 2004) (affirming forfeiture order), that is not the case here.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Dereck McClellan
4th Cir. · 2022 · confidence medium
As courts have noted, “[a] common sense reality of everyday life is that legitimate businesses do not transport large quantities of cash rubber-banded into bundles.” United States v. 21 USCA4 Appeal: 20-2251 Doc: 77 Filed: 08/10/2022 Pg: 22 of 32 $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Matthew Reeves v. Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections
11th Cir. · 2022 · confidence medium
“We do not in- sist that trial courts make factual findings directly addressing each issue that a litigant raises, but instead adhere to the proposition that findings should be construed liberally and found to be in conso- nance with the judgment, so long as that judgment is supported by evidence in the record.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1154 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (citation and internal quota- tion marks omitted).
cited Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Lisa Bird
11th Cir. · 2021 · confidence medium
United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Corrinne Brown
11th Cir. · 2021 · confidence medium
Sitting en banc, we have held that where—as here—the district court is acting as the factfinder, “we . . . infer[ ] from a district court’s explicit factual findings and conclusion implied factual findings that are consistent with its judgment although unstated.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1154 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $31,448.00 in U. S. Currency
E.D.N.C. · 2020 · confidence medium
See United States v. $11,500.00 in U.S. Currency, 710 F.3d 1006, 1013 (9th Cir. 2013); $147,900.00 in U.S. Currency, 450 F. App’x at 264 ; United States v. Herder, 594 F.3d 352, 364 (4th Cir. 2010); United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Jarvis O'Neil Adams v. Office of the Governor
11th Cir. · 2020 · confidence medium
Probable cause is a “reasonable ground for belief of guilt, supported by less than prima facie proof but more than mere suspicion.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $389,820.00 in United States Currency
M.D. Ala. · 2019 · confidence medium
Pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881 (a)(6), the government is not required to demonstrate that the seized currency was connected with any particular drug transaction; instead, the government need only show that the money was “related to some illegal drug transaction.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $47,000 in United States currency
S.D. Ill. · 2019 · confidence medium
See In re $42,500 in U.S. Currency, 283 F.3d 977, 982 (9th Cir. 2002) (cash wrapped in cellophane); In re $252,300.00 in U.S. Currency, 484 F.3d 1271 , 1274–75 (10th Cir. 2007) (cash wrapped in plastic bags); In re $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1162 (11th Cir. 2004) (cash wrapped in paper and plastic wrap) (“Wrapping the cash in a cellophane-type material . . . added nothing to [the claimant’s] ability to transport the cash, but it did enhance her chances of getting it past drug-sniffing dogs.”).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. $100,000 in United States Currency
D. Mass. · 2018 · confidence medium
Packaging of the Defendant Currency Courts have recognized that “[a] trained and experienced law enforcement agent’s belief that the manner in which certain currency was packaged and transported was indicative of drug proceeds is probative and is entitled to weight.” $21,055.00 in U.S. Currency, 778 F. Supp. 2d at 1104 (quoting United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1161-62 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Glenn C. Smith v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections
11th Cir. · 2017 · confidence medium
Walter Int’l Prods., Inc. v. Salinas, 650 F.3d 1402 , 1420 n.13 (11th Cir. 2011) (citing United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1153 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (holding an “appeal is not from the opinion of the district court, but from its judgment”)); see also Church of Scientology of Cal. v. United States, 506 U.S. 9, 12 , 113 S.Ct. 447, 449 , 121 L.Ed.2d 313 (1992) (holding “a federal court has no authority to give opinions upon ... abstract propositions, or to declare principles or rules of law which cannot affect the matter in issue” (citation and internal quotation marks …
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Mata-Peña
D.P.R. · 2017 · signal: cf. · confidence medium
Cf. United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1162 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (“Cellophane, which is largely impermeable to gas, is commonly used to conceal the smell of drugs”) (quoting United States v. $42,500.00, 283 F.3d 977, 982 (9th Cir. 2002)); United States v. Hernández, 313 F.3d 1206, 1211 (9th Cir. 2002) (“traffickers often tape the seams of drug packages in order to conceal the scent of the contraband”).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Edwards
2d Cir. · 2016 · confidence medium
Among the identified evidence strongly supporting the challenged finding was (1) the way the seized money was packaged, in bundles within vacuum-sealed, plastic bags, a technique “known to be used by' drug dealers to prevent discovery by drug-sniffing dogs,” United States v. $242,-484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1162 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc); (2) the fact that, despite these concealment efforts, a trained police dog alerted to the odor of narcotics on the duffle bag containing the cash; and (3) Edwards’s possession, along with the cash, of three cell phones — multiple cell phone use being a �…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Abigail Marilyn Ayers v. Officer Billy Shane Harrison (2×)
11th Cir. · 2016 · confidence medium
Significantly, because “[vjirtually every jury verdict resolves a number of contested issues of fact without explicit factfindings,” we “always infer that the jury resolved every relevant factual issue in favor of its verdict.” United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1155 (11th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (emphasis added and citation omitted). 1 The evidence presented at trial, viewed in the light most favorable to Ms. Ayers, allowed the jury to find that (1) Officer Harrison and his colleagues did not have probable cause to believe that Rev.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Approximately $31,421.00 v. State
Tex. App. · 2015 · confidence medium
They, however, made the following concessions:  Although Enriquez engaged in suspicious behavior that fit the drug 18 The State also argues that because the money included many twenty-dollar bills, it was “connected to and derived from drug trafficking.” The only case cited by the State, United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160 (11th Cir. 2004), in support of this argument is distinguishable on its face because it dealt with approximately eight times the amount of money Enriquez was carrying, weighing more than 40 pounds. 19 This factor, which is related to probable cause, is n…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Acosta, Victor Manuel
Tex. Crim. App. · 2014 · confidence medium
See Williams v. State, Nos. 01-11-00017-CR, 01-11-00018-CR, 2012 WL 2357416 , ⅜9 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] June 21, 2012, pet. ref'd) (not designated for publication) ("The testimony of Sergeant Luna and Lieutenant Slater indicated that the amount of cash found, the way that it was bundled in *629 thousand-dollar increments, and the way in which it was hidden were indicative of money earned through illegal activity such as drug dealing.''). 36 . $217,590.00 In United States Currency v. State, 54 S.W.3d 918 (Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 2001, no pet.) ($217,590 would require the sale of approx…
cited Cited as authority (rule) People v. $174,980 United States Currency
Ill. App. Ct. · 2013 · confidence medium
United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1160-62 (11th Cir. 2004).
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
$242,484.00, Defendant, Deborah Stanford, Individually and as President, Director, and Stockholder of Mike’s Import & Exports, U.S.A., a Florida Corporation, Claimant-Appellant
01-16485; D.C. Docket 99-01259 CV-DMM.
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Apr 18, 2005.
389 F.3d 1149
Douglas L. Williams, Miami, FL, for Claimant-Appellant., Madeleine R. Shirley, Anne R. Schultz, Jeanne Marie Mullenhoff, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Miami, FL, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Edmondson, Anderson, Pogue.
Unpublished
PER CURIAM.

This case comes before us on remand from this Court’s en banc decision in United States v. $242,484.00, 389 F.3d 1149, 1168 (11th Cir.2004). The case originally arose out of a civil forfeiture action applying 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(6)—the version in effect before the 2000 amendments—-which provided for the forfeiture of money linked to drug crimes. The district court ordered the forfeiture of $242,484.00 seized from claimant-appellant Deborah Stanford. Stanford appealed, arguing that her Fourth Amendment rights were violated and that the government lacked probable cause to seize the defendant currency. A panel of this Court agreed that the circumstances were insufficient to establish probable cause and ordered the currency returned to Stanford. The panel’s order was vacated when this Court decided to rehear the case en banc.

The en banc court affirmed the district court’s ruling that the government established probable cause for the forfeiture of the defendant currency and remanded any remaining issues to the panel. We now consider whether Stanford’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated in the course of the encounter that led to the seizure of the defendant currency. Because we conclude that Stanford consented to the initial interview with the DEA agents and to the agents’ request that she accompany them to an office for further questioning, we hold that no constitutional violation occurred and affirm the district court’s forfeiture order.

I. BACKGROUND

On December 14, .1998, Deborah Stanford flew from New York City to Miami, Florida. When airport personnel in New York questioned her about the contents of two packages in her backpack, Stanford became belligerent. She eventually removed the packages and revealed that they contained large amounts of currency. One worker attempted to confiscate the currency, but was countermanded by a superior.

Although Stanford was allowed to board her flight with the currency, an airport security worker approached Drug Enforcement Agency Agent Bradley Cheek and told him what had happened. Agent Cheek relayed the information to DEA Special Agent Kenneth Miles at the Miami International Airport. He described Stanford and said that she was carrying a large amount of cash in her backpack. Agents Miles and John Eric Johnson then went to the gate where Stanford’s plane was to arrive.

When Stanford exited her plane in Miami, the two agents recognized her based on Agent Cheek’s description. They approached Stanford and showed their DEA credentials. They told her that their job was to contact people and seek their help in combating drug flow, asked her if she would talk to them and consent to a search of her baggage, and advised her that she was not required to do so. She consented. The agents asked to see her plane ticket and driver’s license, and she complied. The agents confirmed that the names on the ticket and license matched and re[*132] turned the items to Stanford. Agent Miles asked if Stanford was carrying any contraband or large sums of money, and she replied that she was carrying “about two.” When asked what she meant by this, Stanford told Agent Miles that she had “about two hundred thousand” dollars in her backpack. Agent Miles asked to see the contents of the backpack, and Stanford consented. Inside the pack, Agent Miles found two large packages, one wrapped in black cellophane and one wrapped in plastic cellophane inside a Christmas shopping bag. He asked Stanford’s permission to poke holes in the wrapping, and she consented. Each package contained large, non-uniform bundles of currency.

At that point, Agent Miles asked Stanford to accompany the agents to the airport’s DEA office. Stanford agreed. Agent Miles testified that she answered “sure.” She then walked with the agents to the office, with Agent Miles carrying the backpack containing the currency. Agent Johnson walked in front of Stanford, while Agent Miles trailed slightly behind her. Neither agent touched Stanford, nor did they display any weapon.

When the group reached the DEA office, Agent Miles proceeded to question Stanford about the reason for her trip to New York and the source of the currency. Stanford said that she had gone to New York for a civil trial arising out of a traffic accident she had been involved in ten years earlier, but she was unable to produce any documents relating to the court case. As for the source of the currency, Stanford claimed that her brother contacted her while she was in New York and asked her to pick up some money for Mike’s Import & Export USA, Inc. (“Mike’s”), a business with which both siblings were associated. [1] Stanford could not provide the names of the individuals who gave her the money or tell the agents where the transfer took place, nor could she provide any documentation connecting the money to Mike’s. When pressed, she claimed that her brother had given her directions and told her that the people with the money would know her.

The agents also made further inquiries about the amount of cash that Stanford was carrying. After initially declaring that she had “about two hundred thousand” dollars, Stanford finally told the agents that the black cellophane-wrapped package contained $79,900.00 and the Christmas-wrapped package contained $162,750.00, for a total of $242,650. Stanford was off by only $166.00, as the packages contained a total of $242,484.00. The money was bundled according to denomination, but the bundles contained different amounts, were of varying thickness, and did not bear the binding of any bank or financial institution.

During the airport interview, “Rambo,” a narcotics-detection dog, was brought into the office. Stanford’s backpack was placed in a hallway with several other bags of similar size and shape, and Rambo was allowed to inspect them. He alerted to Stanford’s backpack. At that point, Stanford had a heated exchange with a DEA supervisor who had just arrived. She then left the room to contact an attorney and ultimately left the airport. The DEA re[*133] tained the backpack containing the currency. Stanford was never arrested or charged with any crime arising out of these events.

II. DISCUSSION

Stanford argues that her encounter with DEA agents at the Miami airport constituted a seizure in violation of her Fourth Amendment rights. [2] Because violation of the Fourth Amendment triggers the exclusionary rule, Stanford argues that the district court should have excluded from the government’s case-in-chief all evidence gathered during the airport encounter. See One 1958 Plymouth Sedan v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 380 U.S. 692, 702, 85 S.Ct. 1246, 1251, 14 L.Ed.2d 170 (1965) (holding that the Fourth Amendment’s exclusionary rule applies in civil forfeiture cases). The district court denied Stanford’s motion to suppress the evidence from the airport encounter after concluding that she was not “seized” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment.

Review of a district court’s denial of a motion to suppress evidence is a mixed question of law and fact. United States v. Holloway, 290 F.3d 1331, 1334 (11th Cir. 2002). We review the district court’s findings of fact under the clearly erroneous standard and its application of the law de novo. Id. In reviewing the district court’s ruling, this Court must construe the facts in the light most favorable to the party prevailing below, which, in this case, is the government. Id.

Not every encounter between law enforcement officers and individuals constitutes a seizure within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. United States v. Alvarez-Sanchez, 774 F.2d 1036, 1040 (11th Cir.1985). The crucial inquiry in deciding whether a given encounter implicates the Fourth Amendment is determining whether, considering all the circumstances, a reasonable person would have believed that she was not free to leave if she refused to answer an officer’s questions. Id.

In this case, we have no trouble concluding that no seizure occurred during the initial encounter between Stanford and the DEA agents in the concourse. There is no evidence that Agents Miles and Johnson used any force or coercion. They were not in uniform, they did not touch Stanford or block her path, and they did not display any weapons. They simply approached Stanford, identified themselves as DEA agents, and asked her a few questions. They did request to see her ticket and driver’s license, but returned the items almost immediately. Moreover, she was expressly advised that she was not required to cooperate. Because nothing in this initial encounter would lead a reasonable person to believe that she was not free to leave, the district court correctly found that no seizure occurred. See United States v. Mendenhall, 446 U.S. 544, 555, 100 S.Ct. 1870, 1878, 64 L.Ed.2d 497 (1980).

We next consider the agents’ request that Stanford accompany them to their office. “An officer’s asking an individual to accompany him or her to an office is an intrusive request that raises a presumption that the individual would not feel free to leave absent exceptionally clear evidence of consent.” United States v. Espinosa-Guerra, 805 F.2d 1502, 1507 (11th Cir.1986) (internal quotation omitted). Under such circumstances, courts should “scrutinize the evidence with care[*134] to ensure that the totality of the circumstances shows an utter absence of coercion and hence truly voluntary consent.” Id.

The district court relied on several factors in finding “clear evidence” of Stanford’s voluntary consent to accompany the agents to the office. It found that Agent Miles asked Stanford to go to the office rather than telling her to do so, that there was no show of force, and that the door to the interview room remained open at all times. The court further found that Stanford never asked to leave or physically attempted to do so. None of these findings are clearly erroneous.

In addition to these explicit factual findings, the district court implicitly found that Stanford actively consented to go to the office. In its opinion, the district court acknowledged that “[sjilently following an officer almost never constitutes sufficient evidence of consent.” Order at 8 (quoting Espinosa-Guerra, 805 F.2d at 1508). However, the district court found “clear evidence” that Stanford voluntarily consented to accompany the DEA agents to the office. From this finding, we can infer that the district court credited Agent Miles’ testimony that Stanford said “sure” when asked if she would accompany him to the office. Like the district court’s explicit factual findings, this implied finding is not clearly erroneous. [3]

The foregoing facts, when construed in the light most favorable to the government, support the district court’s finding that Stanford voluntarily consented to go to the DEA office for further questioning. See Mendenhall, 446 U.S. at 557-58, 100 S.Ct. at 1879. We cannot conclude that the district court’s finding of consent is clearly erroneous. Stanford was not seized within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, and the district court’s opinion is

AFFIRMED.

2

. Stanford also argues that the district court improperly struck Mike’s Import & Exports, U.S.A. as a claimant. After oral argument and careful consideration, we reject that argument without need for further discussion.

3

. In advancing Stanford’s claim, petitioner’s counsel has not sufficiently argued, or has entirely waived, any claim that other facts, such as the duration of Stanford’s detention, undermined the validity of her consent or caused that consent to expire.